Front and rear seats in many passenger vehicles, such as automobiles, include respective headrests which provide added comfort for a passenger. In addition to the comfort feature, the headrests also provide a safety feature. Namely, the headrests provide needed head support during rear end collisions which reduces the likelihood of whiplash type injuries. Headrests are typically mounted to a top portion of a seat back as either an integral part of the seat back or as a separate unit mounted to the seat back. The separable headrests usually include some type of height adjustment mechanism. One of the deficiencies which occurs when having a headrest includes obstructed views for the driver and/or passengers. Another deficiency occurs when the seat is folded downwardly to provide added storage space. Specifically, the headrest protruding from the top portion of the seat back extends the length of the seat back; therefore, the amount of available storage space is reduced.
The prior art has contemplated some solutions to these deficiencies. One relatively simple solution is to remove the headrest from the seat back when views are obstructed and/or the seat back is folded downwardly. This however creates another problem of what to do with the loose headrest. Another solution relates to having the headrest move to a position behind the seat back. An example of this type of headrest is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,680. Some difficulties encountered with these designs are that the height adjustment means may be exposed and the headrest is still occupying a portion of the needed cargo space.
Hence, there is a need for a headrest design which can provide adequate support for a passenger and yet be retracted to improve the viewing area and increase the available storage space.